Storage-battery electrode.



PATENTE!) JAN.' 6, 1903..

No.y 717,609.

L. PAGET.. STORAGE BATTERY Emma-ODE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.`10, 1900. j

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:LEONARD rAeEr, OE NEwr YORK, N. Y., AssieNOR To CHARLES OosrER, or NEw YORK, N. Y.

STO RAG E-BATTERY ELECTRODE` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,609, dated January 6,1903.

Application filed January 10, 1900.V Serial 911. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tm/tty concern: l

Be it known that I, LEONARD PAGET, a citisen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage-Battery Elements or Electrodes, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of theV same. n

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved battery element or electrode with a metal support 'and conductor for the active material which shall possess the advantages of a true Plante plate in respect to rapid charge and discharge and avoidance of snlfation between the active material and support and which shall be light, strong, and durable under the conditions of use, while at the same time avoiding the long period of formation required for producing plates by the Plante process. I have discovered that by pressing spongy lead onto a plate of sheet-lead in a very thin layer and to the density of sheet-lead,which is 11.4, or approximately such density a storagebattery element may be secured that will not disintegrate under the action of a storage battery and will secure substantially the same battery action as the active material of a Plante plate,and I thus secure substantially a Plante plate of great durability without the slow and expensive process of forming by reversals, as in the Plante process. In producing my elements I may apply the spongy lead on only one side of the metallic-lead plate; but preferably I coat both sides of the metallic-lead plate with the spongy lead, thus producing a storage-battery plate with active material on opposite sidesand a central metallic support and conductor. To secure the density required, each layer or film of metal produced by the compression must be very thin, so that only a comparatively -small capacity per unit of surface can be secured without compressing successive layers. In compressing the spongy lead, therefore, I preferably apply and compress successive thin layers or films of the spongy lead, so as to produce the thickness of active material desired. Each of these successive compressed layers or iilms must be of such small thickness as to be compressed to a uniform density throughout, and I have found in practice that they should not be more than about two one-hundredths of an inch in thickness and preferablyy are thinner than this. I have found in practice that a direct pressurethat is,` the pressure of a platen-press as distinguished from that of pressure-rollers-is necessary to secure the result desired and witha platen-press' have found that a pressure of from two to three tons is sufficient to compress spongy lead in'such thin layers to a specic gravity of ten or more and that by such compression on successive layers of this thickness a plate may be built up to the thickness desired that Will be very satisfactory under conditions of battery use; but I preferably nse a greater pressure, so as to secure a greater density with corresponding greater strength and durability. The density may be somewhat less and fairly satisfactory results be secured; but a specific gravity below ten involves loss of durability, and I ind that if the speciiic gravity be less than about nine and one-half the element will be unsuitable for my purpose. If the Yspongy lead be applied on opposite sides of the plate for successive compressions, as is preferable, and the same pressure be used for vthe outer as for the inner layers, it is obviousv that the plate will be of a density increasing from the surface inward, and this is the lpreferable construction and forms animportant feature of my invention in its more limited aspect, as theplate thus produced resembles more closely a true Plante plate and secures more fully the advantages of such plate, especially1 in regard to the quicker charge and discharge and avoidance of sulfation. Instead of using the same pressure for the successive layers I may reduce the pressure for the successive layers and then press the plate iinally with a heavier pressure, substantially thepsame result of a density increasing from the surface inward being secured. This increase of density is comparatively small and probably does not amount to one unit of specific gravity.

I preferably use the ordinary spongy lead in .producing my battery electrodes or ele- ICO ments, by which I mean finely-granulated or electrolytically formed, reduced, or deposited metallic lead or chemically-precipitated metallic lead. All such metallic lead may be included under the term finely-divided lead,77 andI find that with such material compressed to the density stated the active constituents of a suitable electrolyte will penetrate the material, so as to secure the electrical action required. I preferably use a very thin plate of sheet-lead as the central support and conductor, which is entirely practical with the increased rigidity secured by the solid coatings of heavily-compressed spongy lead, so that I am thus enabled to provide a very light and thin plate of large surface. I have found in practice that a plate of about one one-hundredth of an inch in thickness is efficient with the spongy lead applied on each side, so as to produce a plate of a total thickness of one-twelfth of an inch or less. Of course a thicker support may be used and the saine action of the battery be secured; but this increases the Weight and thickness of the plate without increasing the battery capacity, and one of the important advantages of my improved plate is that it enables a Very thin support and conductor to be used. The total thickness of active material on either side of the central lead plate or on one side, if only one side be coated, should not exceed about one twenty-fifth of an inch in order that the whole depth of the coating or coatings may be efficiently utilized as active material in the battery, so as to secure a high capacity per unit of weight.

For a full illustration of the features of the present invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings a storage-battery element in the form of a plate consisting of a central thin plate of ordinary sheet-lead forming the support and conductor and a coating of spongy lead on the opposite sides of the plate compressed as above described and forming the active material of the plate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of the plate broken away to show the different layers. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section on a much-enlarged scale, illustrating the preferred construction with successive layers of different density. v

A is the central lead plate, forming the su pport and conductor, and B the coatings of compressed spongy lead on opposite sides of thev plate A, these coatings preferably consisting of a number of successive thin layers or films compressed as above described and the coatings preferably increasingin density from the surface inward to the plate A, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that my improved storage-battery element may be of any suitable form other than a simple plate of the form shown and that it may be used With any suitable electrolyte and in any desired manner, as usual with other electrodes in which lead forms the active material or material adapted to become active, as well understood in the art. Instead of a support of sheet-lead other suitable metal may be used to form a conducting-support, but much better results are secured with the lead plate.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and nely-divided lead on said support compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on opposite sides of said support compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on said support compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4f. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on opposite sides of said support compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantiallj,7 as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on said support in successive thin layers or iilms compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A storage-battery element consisting of a condllcting-support and nely-divided lead on opposite sides of said support in successive thin layers or films compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on said support in successive thin layers or films compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on opposite sides of said support in successive thin layers or films compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A storage-battery element consisting of a lead plate and finely`divded lead on said plate compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l0. A storage-battery element consisting of a lead plate and finely-divided lead on each IOO IIO

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side of the plate compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

1l. A storage-battery element consisting of a lead plate and finely-divided lead on said plate compressed to a density approximately that of sheet-lead with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. A storage-battery element consisting of a lead plate and iinely-divided lead on each side of the plate compressed to a density 'approximately that of sheet-lead, with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin lead plate and a coating of finely-divided lead in successive thin layers or iilms on said plate compressed to a density substantially that of sheet-lead, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin leadvplate and a coating of finely-divided lead on each side of said plate in successive thin layers or films on said plate compressed to a density substantially that of sheet-lead, substantially as and :for the purpose set forth.

15. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin lead plate and a coating of finely-divided lead in successive thin layers or lms on said plate compressed to a density sul)- stantially that of sheet-lead With the density of the coating increasing from the surface inward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth'.

16. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin lead plate and a coating` of finely-divided lead on each side of said plate in successive thin layers or films on said plate compressed to a density substantially that of sheet-lead with the density of the coatings increasing from the surface inward,substan tially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. A storage-battery element consisting of a conducting-support and nely-divided compressed lead on said support with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface inward.

18. Astorage-loattery element consisting of a conducting-support and finely-divided lead on said-support in successive compressed thin layers or films.

19. A storage-battery element consisting of a cond noting-support and finely-divided lead on said support in successive compressed thin layers or films with the density of the compressed lead increasing from the surface in- Ward.

20. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin lead plate and a coating of finely-divided lead on each side of said plate in successive compressed thin layers or films.

2 1. A storage-battery element consisting of a thin lead plate and a coating of finely-divided lead on each side of said plate in successive compressed thin layers or films with the density of the coatings increasing from the surface inward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. y

vLEONARD PAGET. Witnesses:

A. A. V. BOURKE, C. J. SAWYER. 

